A speculum operates to allow a healthcare provider the ability to visually inspect a body orifice, e.g., a vagina. A vaginal speculum may have upper and lower arms that are pivoted with respect to one another to form a set of jaws at one end and a handle on an opposite end. The handle can be squeezed by the health care provider to separate jaws. The jaws are placed into the closed state to insert into the vagina. The healthcare provider may subsequently open the jaws to cause the passageway to be sufficiently enlarged. A locking mechanism can be used to lock the pivotal position of the upper and lower arms with respect to one another. However, the locking mechanism may create a clicking sound when changing positions. The clicking sound has been found to be disturbing to patients on which a speculum is being used in a medical procedure.